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UJesu Uza EJerusalema NjengeNkosi
1 Bathi sebesondela eJerusalema, bafika eBhethifage eNtabeni yama-Oliva, uJesu wathuma abafundi ababili, 2 wathi kubo, “Yanini emzini ophambi kwenu, khonapho lizabona inkonyane kababhemi lobabhemi ebotshelwe khonapho. Libakhulule libuye labo kimi. 3 Nxa kungaba lozalibuza, limtshele ukuthi iNkosi yiyo ebafunayo, uzahle abayekele bahambe masinyane.”
4 Lokhu kwenzeka ukuze kugcwaliseke okwakhulunywa ngomphrofethi ukuthi:
5 “Tshela iNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ukuthi,
‘Khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza kuwe,
imnene igade ubabhemi,
iphezu kwenkonyane, inkonyane kababhemi.’*”
6 Abafundi bahamba benza njengokulaywa kwabo nguJesu. 7 Baletha inkonyane kababhemi lobabhemi, bendlala amajazi abo phezu kwabobabhemi ukuze uJesu ahlale phezu kwawo. 8 Ixuku elikhulu lendlala amajazi alo endleleni, kukanti abanye bephula ingatsha ezihlahleni bazendlala endleleni. 9 Amaxuku ayehamba phambi kwakhe lalawo ayelandela amemeza athi,
“Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida!”†
“Ubusisiwe lowo obuya ngebizo likaThixo!”
“Hosana ezulwini eliphezulu!”
10 Kwathi uJesu esengenile eJerusalema, umuzi wonke wanyakazela, abantu babuzana bathi, “Kanti ngubani lo?”
11 Amaxuku aphendula athi, “Lo nguJesu, umphrofethi waseNazaretha eGalile.”
UJesu EThempelini
12 UJesu wangena egumeni lethempeli wabaxotsha bonke ababethenga lababethengisa khona. Wagenqula amatafula alabo ababentshintshela abanye izimali lezihlalo zabathengisa amajuba. 13 Wathi kubo, “Kulotshiwe ukuthi, ‘Indlu yami izabizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokukhuleka,’‡kodwa lina seliyenza ‘ubhalu lwabaphangi.’§”
14 Iziphofu labaqhugezelayo beza kuye ethempelini wabasilisa. 15 Kodwa kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho bebona izimanga ayezenza labantwana bememeza egumeni lethempeli besithi, “Hosana kuyo iNdodana kaDavida,” banengeka.
16 Bambuza bathi, “Uyabezwa nje abantwana laba ukuthi bathini?”*
Waphendula uJesu wathi, “Yebo, kalikaze lifunde ukuthi,
‘Ezindebeni zabantwana lensane
wena Nkosi uyimisile indumiso’?”
17 Wasebatshiya waphuma edolobheni waya eBhethani lapho alala khona.
Isihlahla Somkhiwa Siyabuna
18 Ekuseni kakhulu esebuyela edolobheni wezwa eselambile. 19 Wabona isihlahla somkhiwa eceleni kwendlela, waqambukela kuso kodwa wathola kungelalutho kuso ngaphandle kwamahlamvu nje. Wasesithi kuso, “Ungaphindi uthele izithelo lanini!” Khonapho nje isihlahla sahle sabuna.
20 Abafundi bathi bekubona lokhu bamangala kakhulu. Babuza bathi, “Kwenzeke kanjani ukuthi isihlahla somkhiwa sibune masinyane kangaka?”
21 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi nxa lilokukholwa njalo lingathandabuzi, kalisoze lenze okwenziwe kulesi isihlahla somkhiwa kuphela kodwa njalo lingathi kule intaba, ‘Suka, uziphosele olwandle,’ lakanye kuzenzeka. 22 Nxa likholwa, lizaphiwa loba yini eliyicelayo ngomkhuleko.”
Kubuzwa Ngemvelo Yamandla KaJesu
23 UJesu wangena ethempelini, kwathi elokhu efundisa abaphristi abakhulu labadala babantu beza kuye. Bambuza bathi, “Izinto lezi uzenza ngawaphi amandla na? Ngubani okunike amandla la?”
24 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Lami ngizalibuza umbuzo owodwa. Lingangiphendula, ngizalitshela ukuthi ngizenza ngawaphi amandla lezizinto. 25 Ubhaphathizo lukaJohane lwavela ngaphi na? Lwavela ezulwini loba ebantwini na?”
Bangunguna bodwa ngalokho bathi, “Nxa singathi, ‘Lwavela ezulwini,’ uzakuthi, ‘Pho kungani lingazange limkholwe na?’ 26 Kodwa singathi, ‘Lwavela ebantwini,’ sesaba abantu ngoba bonke uJohane bamthatha njengomphrofethi.”
27 Ngakho bamphendula uJesu bathi, “Kasikwazi.”
Ngakho wasesithi, “Lami kangiyikulitshela ukuthi izinto lezi ngizenza ngamandla bani.”
Umzekeliso Wamadodana Amabili
28 “Likhumbulani kambe? Kwakulendoda eyayilamadodana amabili. Yaya kweyokuqala yathi, ‘Ndodana, lamuhla hamba uyesebenza esivinini.’
29 Yaphendula yathi, ‘Kangisoze ngiye mina,’ kodwa yaphinde yazisola yahamba.
30 Uyise wasesiya kwenye indodana watsho okufanayo. Yaphendula yathi, ‘Ngizahamba, baba,’ kodwa kayihambanga.
31 Yiphi phakathi kwawo womabili eyenza lokho okwakufunwa nguyise na?”
Baphendula bathi, “Ngeyakuqala.”
UJesu wathi kubo, “Ngilitshela iqiniso ngithi abathelisi lezifebe bazangena embusweni kaNkulunkulu kuqala kulani. 32 Ngoba uJohane weza kini ukuzalitshengisa indlela yokulunga kodwa kalimkholwanga ikanti abathelisi lezifebe bamkholwa. Kwathi lokuba selikubonile konke lokhu kalimkholwanga.”
Umzekeliso Wabalimi Esivinini
33 “Zwanini omunye umzekeliso: Kwakukhona umnini wesiqinti owahlanyela isivini. Wasihonqolozela ngomduli, wagebha isikhamelo sewayini phakathi, wasesakha isilindo. Waseqhatshisa isivini leso kubalimi wasuka wathatha uhambo. 34 Kuthe sekufika isikhathi sokuvuna wathuma izinceku zakhe kulabobalimi ukuyathatha izithelo.
35 Abalimi bazibamba izinceku zakhe; eyinye bayitshaya, eyinye bayibulala kwathi eyesithathu bayikhanda ngamatshe. 36 Wasethuma ezinye izinceku kubo, ezinengi kulezakuqala, njalo abalimi baziphatha ngendlela efanayo. 37 Ekucineni wasethumela indodana yakhe kubo. Wathi, ‘Bazayihlonipha indodana yami.’
38 Kodwa kwathi abalimi beyibona indodana batshelana bathi, ‘Lo yindlalifa. Wozani simbulale sithathe ilifa lakhe.’ 39 Ngakho bamdumela bamphosela ngaphandle kwesivini bambulala.
40 Ngakho-ke nxa umninisivini esesiza uzabathini abalimi labo na?”
41 Baphendula bathi, “Uzababonisa into yamehlo, abeseqhatshisa isivini sakhe kwabanye abalimi abazamnika ingxenye yakhe yezithelo ngesikhathi sokuvuna.”
42 UJesu wathi kubo, “Kalibalanga yini emibhalweni ukuthi:
‘Ilitshe elalahlwa ngabakhi
seliyilona ilitshe lensika;
iNkosi ikwenzile lokhu,
njalo kuyamangalisa emehlweni ethu?’†
43 Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu lizawuthathelwa uphiwe abantu abazathela izithelo zawo. 44 Lowo ozawela phezu kwalelilitshe uzavadlaka kodwa lowo elizawela phezu kwakhe uzafihlizwa.”
45 Kwathi abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi besizwa imizekeliso kaJesu, bakwazi ukuthi wayekhuluma ngabo. 46 Badinga indlela yokumbopha kodwa besaba ixuku labantu ngoba abantu bambona njengomphrofethi.
* 21:5 UZakhariya 9.9 † 21:9 AmaHubo 118.26 ‡ 21:13 U-Isaya 56.7 § 21:13 UJeremiya 7.11 * 21:16 AmaHubo 8.2 † 21:42 AmaHubo 118.22-23